Brendan Street: L-plate drug driver caught three times in three weeks

A Hallam learner driver was repeatedly nabbed high on ice — including twice by the same cops in the same car on the same day.

A drug driving L-plater was caught high on ice three times in three weeks.

A learner driver consistently caught driving while off his head on ice was busted twice on the same day by the same officers, a court has heard.

Brendan Street has been heavily fined and banned after he was pulled over three times while high on drugs in a three-week period.

The then 25-year-old learner had been nabbed drug-driving and told by officers he was suspended, only to be caught again by the same cops just five hours later.

Street, now 27, pleaded guilty to a raft of driving, drug possession and bail breach charges at the Frankston Magistrates’ Court on Monday.

The court heard at around midnight on July 7, 2019 a police patrol came across a car in a factory area of Carrum Downs.

Street was in the driving seat, with no licensed driver with him, with no L-plates showing.

He proved positive for ice in a preliminary roadside drug test, but refused to accompany officers to give an evidentiary sample, earning himself an automatic two-year ban.

Just three weeks later the Hallam driver was again behind the wheel when he was pulled over for a routine check in Korumburra.

Again he had no L-plates and his passenger had no licence.

He tested positive for ice in a drug test and was ordered not to drive for 24 hours.

But just five hours later the same officers saw his car speeding at 108km/h in a 50km/h zone in Korumburra and again intercepted him.

He again tested positive for ice, and this time had his vehicle impounded.

When asked why he had driven twice while high, he said “no reason, just stupid”.

Street was also nabbed in August 2019 sat in the passenger seat of a mate’s car in Berwick with a bag of ice in his pocket.

And he was caught driving while suspended in Frankston, saying he had to because his mate “was too tired” to drive home.

He then failed to show up for court.

Defence lawyer Daniel Badov said these offences were over two years ago and Street was not in a good place at the time.

He said his client’s partner had taken their young child to live interstate without his knowledge and he turned to drugs to cope.

He said his life had improved markedly since, he’s now abstaining from drugs, has employment with his father and enjoys a large amount of family support.

Magistrate Charles Tan agreed Street was in a better place now than he was in 2019, but his total disregard for driving regulations needed to be punished.

“You had a strong indifference to the law,” Mr Tan said.

“You were driving when told not to with drugs in your system.”

Street was convicted and fined $2500, and banned from driving for three years.